1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rising-type bed apparatus suitable for a patient, and a mattress for use in combination with the rising-type bed apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a bed apparatus for a patient, a so-called rising-type bed apparatus has been used to help a patient whose physical power has decreased to raise his or her upper part when having a meal or on another occasion. The rising-type bed apparatus has a bedplate, a bed frame, a back-raising part, and a leg-raising part. The bedplate is provided on the upper surface of the bed frame. It is divided into a plurality of bed parts, which are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the bed frame. The back-raising part, which corresponds to the upper half of the user, is configured to be driven by a driving mechanism. When driven, the back-raising part can rise and lower.
When the back-raising part rises, raising the upper part of the user, the buttocks easily shift forwards. At the time of raising the back, the driving mechanism raises not only the back-raising part, but also the leg-raising part that opposes the user's legs. This prevents the buttocks from moving forwards.
In some of the rising-type bed apparatuses, the leg-raising part can be moved, selectively in interlock with the back-raising part. That is, the leg-raising part may be moved in interlock with the back-raising part, if necessary, or may be raised or lowered, regardless of the movement of the back-raising part.
In recent years, it has been considered that the rising-type bed apparatus in which the leg-raising part is selectively raised or lowered be used for a specific patient. For example, the use has been studied for a case where the raised legs need to be held in a lying-on-back condition if the patient who has broken or hurt otherwise the legs.
However, the leg-raising part of the conventional rising-type bed apparatus has a width equal to the length of the bed frame even though the leg-raising part can be raised or lowered, if necessary, when the back-raising part is raised or lowered. Therefore, when the leg-raising part is raised, the patient's both legs are simultaneously raised and held, even if he or she has only one leg broken or injured.
For a patient who has one leg injured, it suffices to have only that leg raised and held, but both legs are raised and held. This increases the burden on the patient's lower back. The conventional rising-type bed apparatus is not so convenient as is desired. It may give the patient a pain, depending upon the purpose of use.
An object of the present invention is to provide a rising-type bed apparatus that can hold either or both of user's legs in a raised condition, and a mattress for use in combination with the bed apparatus.